Tamper-evident reclosable bag

ABSTRACT

A plastic bag comprises opposing body panels fixedly connected to each other along a pair of sides and a bottom bridging the pair of sides. A reclosable zipper extending along a mouth portion formed opposite the sealed bottom of the plastic bag. The zipper is preferably free of graspable upper pull flanges in order to best accommodate a slider and inhibit operation of the zipper without the slider. The slider is mounted to the zipper for movement between a closed position and an open position. The zipper is closed while the slider is in the closed position. The zipper is opened in response to movement of the slider to the open position. To inhibit tampering with the contents of the bag, the bag includes a tamper-evident feature. In one set of embodiments, the tamper-evident feature initially maintains the slider in the closed position and allows the slider to move away from the closed position toward the open position in response to removing or breaking the tamper-evident feature. In another set of embodiments, the tamper-evident feature initially maintains a mouth portion of the plastic bag in a folded position and allows the mouth portion to be unfolded in response to removing or breaking the tamper-evident feature.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to reclosable plastic bags and,more particularly, relates to a reclosable plastic bag having atamper-evident feature. In one set of embodiments, the plastic bag has azipper opened and closed using a slider mounted to the zipper, and thetamper-evident feature initially maintains the slider at a closedposition on the zipper and allows the slider to move away from theclosed position to an open position on the zipper in response toremoving or breaking the tamper-evident feature. In another set ofembodiments, the tamper-evident feature initially maintains a mouthportion of the plastic bag in a folded position and allows the mouthportion to be unfolded in response to removing or breaking thetamper-evident feature.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Reclosable slider bags of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,208include a zipper that is opened and closed by movement of a slidermounted to the zipper. Due to the ease of operating the slider, suchslider bags have increased in popularity over the last few years.Heretofore, the primary market for slider bags has been consumers whopurchase a package of empty slider bags and then fill the slider bagswith products at home. However, with the increasing popularity of theslider bags, product manufacturers have become interested in packagingtheir food and nonfood products in slider bags for sale to consumers.The slider bags are a great convenience to the consumer who purchasesthese product-filled bags especially for products of the type where onlya portion of the product is used at any given time. The productapplications for which slider bags may be useful are virtuallyunlimited. The consumer may initially open the slider bag, use a portionof the product, and then easily reclose the slider bag. Due to the easeof using the slider bag, the slider bag is typically preferred overone-time openable bags, which are significantly more difficult to openand reclose. To open a one-time openable bag, the consumer may need totear the bag open and may require a scissors or other tool to facilitatethe opening process; to reclose the bag, the consumer typically mustroll the top of the bag closed and may require an extra fasteningmechanism such as a clip, tie, or tape to maintain the bag in the closedposition.

A problem with plastic slider bags is that if such bags are to beprepackaged with a food or non-food product and then sold in a store,the contents of the plastic bags can easily be tampered with prior topurchase by the consumer. To inhibit such tampering, slider bags havebeen provided with tamper-evident features of the type disclosed in U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,669,715; 5,713,669; and 5,775,812. While such tamper-evidentfeatures are capable of providing tamper evidence upon opening the bag,bag manufacturers such as the assignee of the foregoing patents arecontinually striving to develop new bag features for improving thefunctionality of their bags.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To that end, the present invention provides a plastic bag comprisingfirst and second opposing body panels fixedly connected to each otheralong a pair of sides and a bottom bridging the pair of sides. The bagis provided with a reclosable zipper extending along a mouth portionformed opposite the sealed bottom of the plastic bag. The zipper ispreferably free of graspable upper pull flanges in order to bestaccommodate a slider and inhibit operation of the zipper without theslider. The slider is slidably mounted to the zipper for movementbetween a closed position and an open position. The zipper is closedwhile the slider is in the closed position. The zipper is opened inresponse to movement of the slider to the open position. The bagoptionally includes end terminations at opposite ends of the zipper toprevent the slider from going past the ends of the zipper. To providethe plastic bag with tamper evidence, the bag includes a tamper-evidentfeature.

In one set of embodiments, the tamper-evident feature initiallymaintains the slider in the closed position and allows the slider tomove away from the closed position toward the open position in responseto removing or breaking the tamper-evident feature. The tamper-evidentfeature may take a variety of forms including for example: a removablecardboard, paper, or plastic member covering or adjacent to the sliderin the closed position and adhered, stapled, triction fit, or connectedin some other way to the bag to hold the member in place; a removableflexible member extending through a hole in the slider or through a holein the zipper adjacent to the slider in the closed position: a removablestepped retaining element removably attached to one of the bag bodypanels near the closed position of the slider such that a shoulder ofthe slider is initially engaged to the stepped element and is disengagedtherefrom upon removal of the stepped element; a latch connected to theend termination and releasably engaged to the slider in the closedposition; a latch connected to the slider and releasably engaged to theend termination when the slider is in the closed position; and aremovable U-shaped element extending through slots in the slider in theclosed position and dug into the zipper.

The tamper-evident features noted above initially maintain the slider inthe closed position. Therefore, prior to removing or breaking thetamper-evident feature, it is difficult to gain access to the interiorof the bag because, in the absence of graspable upper flanges, thezipper is difficult to grasp and open by hand without the use of theslider. After the tamper-evident feature is removed or broken, theslider may be used to open the zipper and access the contents of thebag.

In another set of embodiments, the tamper-evident feature initiallymaintains the mouth portion of the plastic bag in a folded position andallows the mouth portion to be unfolded in response to removing orbreaking the tamper-evident feature. The tamper-evident feature can beemployed with both slider and sliderless bags and may take a variety offorms including for example: spot seals detachably sealing the sides ofthe folded mouth portion to the sides of the bag; spot seals detachablysealing the inner panel of the folded mouth portion to the adjacent bagpanel; a removable flexible member passing through both the folded mouthportion and the adjacent unfolded portion of the bag: one or morestickers (adhesive strips) attaching the folded mouth portion to theadjacent unfolded portion of the bag; and combinations of the foregoing.If the flexible member or sticker is employed and the plastic bagincludes a slider for operating the zipper, the flexible member orsticker may be strategically positioned to perform the dual function ofmaintaining the mouth portion in the folded position and preventing theslider from being moved away from the closed position until the flexiblemember or sticker is removed from the bag.

The tamper evident features of the present invention effectively inhibittampering with contents of the bag to a degree that is especially usefulfor non-food and some food applications, where tamper-proof packaging isnot required but tamper-resistant packaging is nonetheless desirable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the following detailed description and upon reference to thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a reclosable plastic slider bag having aslider mounted to a zipper in a closed position;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a mouth portion of the slider bag showingthe slider moved away from the closed position so that the zipper ispartially opened;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a removable adhesive label;

FIG. 4 b is an enlarged isometric view of the slider bag showing theadhesive label in the process of being removed from the bag;

FIG. 4 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 4 c-4 c in FIG.4 a;

FIG. 4 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 4 d-4 d in FIG.4 b;

FIG. 5 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a flexible member, such as a pricetag pin, extending through a 18 hole in the slider;

FIG. 5 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing theflexible member in the process of being cut away from the slider;

FIG. 5 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 5 c-5 c in FIG.5 a;

FIG. 5 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 5 d-5 d in FIG.5 b;

FIG. 6 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of flexible member, such as a pricetag pin, extending through a hole in the zipper adjacent to the sliderin the closed position;

FIG. 6 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing theflexible member in the process of being cut away from the zipper;

FIG. 6 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 6 c-6 c in FIG.6 a;

FIG. 6 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 6 d-6 d in FIG.6 b;

FIG. 7 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a stepped retaining elementattached to one of the bag body panels and engaging a shoulder of theslider in the closed position;

FIG. 7 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing thestepped retaining element in the process of being detached from the bagbody panel and disengaged from the slider;

FIG. 7 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 7 c-7 c in FIG.7 a;

FIG. 7 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 7 d-7 d in FIG.7 b;

FIG. 7 e is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a stepped retaining elementintegrally formed with a slider end stop and engaging a shoulder of theslider in the closed position;

FIG. 7 f is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing thestepped retaining element in the process of being detached from theslider end stop and disengaged from the slider;

FIG. 7 g is a sectional view taken generally along line 7 g-7 g in FIG.7 e;

FIG. 7 h is a sectional view taken generally along line 7 h-7 h in FIG.7 f;

FIG. 8 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of shrink wrap encapsulating theslider in the closed position;

FIG. 8 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing theshrink wrap in the process of being removed from the bag;

FIG. 8 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 8 c-8 c in FIG.8 a;

FIG. 8 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 8 d-8 d in FIG.8 b;

FIG. 9 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a plastic sleeve covering at leasta portion of the slider in the closed position;

FIG. 9 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing theplastic sleeve in the process of being removed from the bag;

FIG. 9 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 9 c-9 c in FIG.9 a;

FIG. 9 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 9 d-9 d in FIG.9 b;

FIG. 10 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of an extruded friction fit plasticsleeve located adjacent to the slider in the closed position;

FIG. 10 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing theplastic sleeve in the process of being removed from the bag;

FIG. 10 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 10 c-10 c inFIG. 10 a;

FIG. 10 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 10 d-10 d inFIG. 10 b;

FIG. 11 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a cardboard, paper, plastic, orfoil strip stapled to the bag adjacent to the slider in the closedposition;

FIG. 11 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing thestapled strip in the process of being removed from the bag;

FIG. 11 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 11 c-11 c inFIG. 11 a;

FIG. 11 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 11 d-11 d inFIG. 11 b;

FIG. 12 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a plastic tab located adjacent tothe slider in the closed position, and including a pair of tab panelsdetachably connected to and extending upward from respective bag bodypanels and attached to each other above the zipper;

FIG. 12 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing theplastic tab in the process of being removed from the bag;

FIG. 12 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 12 c-12 c inFIG. 12 a;

FIG. 12 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 12 d-12 d inFIG. 12 b;

FIG. 13 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a latch extending from a sliderend stop and releasably engaged to the slider in the closed position;

FIG. 13 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing thelatch in the process of being disengaged from the slider;

FIG. 13 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 13 c-13 c inFIG. 13 a;

FIG. 13 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 13 d-13 d inFIG. 13 b;

FIG. 14 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a latch extending from a sliderend stop and engaged to the slider in the closed position;

FIG. 14 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing thelatch in the process of being broken to release the slider from the endstop;

FIG. 14 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 14 c-14 c inFIG. 14 a;

FIG. 14 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 14 d-14 d inFIG. 14 b;

FIG. 15 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a latch extending from the sliderin the closed position and engaged to the slider end stop;

FIG. 15 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing thelatch in the process of being broken to release the slider from the endstop;

FIG. 15 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 15 c-15 c inFIG. 15 a;

FIG. 15 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 15 d-15 d inFIG. 15 b;

FIG. 16 a is a partial isometric view of a slider bag having atamper-evident feature in the form of a U-shaped element extendingthrough slots in the slider in the closed position and dug into thezipper;

FIG. 16 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing theU-shaped element in the process of being disengaged from the zipper andremoved from the slider;

FIG. 16 c is a sectional view taken generally along line 16 c-16 c inFIG. 16 a;

FIG. 16 d is a sectional view taken generally along line 16 d-16 d inFIG. 16 b;

FIG. 17 a is an isometric view of a slider bag having a tamper-evidentfeature created by folding over the mouth portion of the bag anddetachably connecting the folded-over mouth portion to the sides of thebag;

FIG. 17 b is a partial isometric view of the slider bag showing one ofthe side seals attaching the folded-over mouth portion to the sides ofthe bag;

FIG. 17 c is a partial isometric view of the slider bag after the sideseals have been broken to allow the mouth portion to be unfolded;

FIG. 18 is an isometric view of a slider bag having a tamper-evidentfeature created by folding over the mouth portion of the bag andsecuring the folded-over mouth portion with a price tag pin and a sideseal;

FIG. 19 a is an isometric view of a slider bag having a tamper-evidentfeature created by folding over the mouth portion of the bag anddetachably sealing the inner panel of the folded-over mouth portion tothe adjacent bag panel;

FIG. 19 b is a section view taken generally along line 19 b-19 b in FIG.19 a;

FIG. 20 a is an isometric view of a slider bag having a tamper-evidentfeature created by folding over the mouth portion of the bag andsecuring the folded-over mouth portion with partially removablestickers; and

FIG. 20 b is an isometric view of the slider bag in FIG. 20 a after thestickers have been partially removed to allow the mouth portion to beunfolded.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof has been shown by wayof example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit theinvention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a reclosable plastic sliderbag 10 comprising first and second opposing body panels 12 and 14fixedly connected to each other along a pair of sides 16 and 18 and abottom 20 bridging the pair of sides 16 and 18. The bag is provided witha reclosable zipper 22 extending along a mouth portion formed oppositethe closed bottom 20 of the plastic bag.

Referring to FIG. 3, the zipper 22 includes a male track and a femaletrack. The male track includes a male profile 24 and a first dependingfin or flange 26 extending downward from the male profile 24. Likewise,the female track includes a female profile 28 and a second depending finor flange 30 extending downward from the female profile 28. The firstand second fins 26 and 30 are thermally fused to inner surfaces of therespective first and second body panels 12 and 14. Alternatively, thezipper 22 may be extruded with the body panels 12 and 14 such that thefirst fin 26 is integrally formed with the first body panel 12 and thesecond fin 30 is integrally formed with the second body panel 14. Toprovide a hermetic seal for the contents of the bag, the first andsecond fins 26 and 30 may be joined to each other at their lowermostends along a line of weakness to effectively create a singletamper-evident continuous fin. If the fins are joined to each other,they must be separated from each other along the line of weakness inorder to gain access to the contents of the bag. Further informationconcerning the joined fins may be obtained from U.S. application Ser.No. 08/950,535 filed Oct. 15, 1997 and entitled “Reclosable FastenerStrip With Tamper Evident Feature.” which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

To assist in opening the plastic bag, a slider 32 is slidably mounted tothe zipper 22 for movement between a closed position and an openposition. In the closed position of the slider 32 shown in FIG. 1, themale and female profiles 24 and 28 are interlocked with each other.Movement of the slider 32 from the closed position in FIG. 1 toward theopen position (see FIG. 2) disengages the male and female profiles 24and 28 from each other and allows a user to gain access to the interiorof the plastic bag. The zipper 22 is preferably free of graspable upperpull flanges extending upward from the profiles 24 and 28 in order tofacilitate mounting and movement of the slider 32 along the zipper 22.Also, the absence of such upper pull flanges inhibits a user fromopening and closing the zipper 22 without the use of the slider 32.

Opposite ends of the zipper 22 are provided with end termination clamps34. Each end clamp 34 includes a strap member that wraps over the top ofthe zipper 22. To mount the strap to the zipper 22, one end of the strapis provided with a rivet-like member that is adapted to penetratethrough the bag material and into a cooperating opening at the other endof the strap. The end clamps 34 perform the dual function of stops forthe ends of the zipper 22 to prevent the slider 32 from going past theend of the zipper 22 and, in addition, they hold the male and femaleprofiles 24 and 28 together to resist stresses applied to the profilesduring normal use of the plastic bag. Further details concerning theconstruction and operation of the slider 32 and the end clamps 34 may beobtained from U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,208 to Herrington, Jr. et al., whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The endterminations 34 are merely illustrative and may take other forms knownin the art, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,375;5,448,807; 5,442,837; 5,405,478; 5,161,286; 5,131,121; and 5,088,971 andin U.S. application Ser. No. 08/698,923 filed Aug. 16, 1996 and entitled“End Posts for Plastic Zipper.” all of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

To provide the plastic bag with tamper evidence, the bag includes atamper-evident feature. In one set of embodiments depicted in FIGS. 4a-d through 16 a-d. the tamper-evident feature initially maintains theslider 32 in the closed position (FIG. 1) and allows the slider 32 tomove away from the closed position toward the open position (see FIG. 2)in response to removing or breaking the tamper-evident feature. Prior toremoving or breaking the tamper evident feature, it is difficult to gainaccess to the interior of the bag because, in the absence of graspableupper flanges, the zipper 22 is difficult to grasp and open by handwithout the use of the slider 32. The tamper-evident feature may take avariety forms which are discussed below in connection with FIGS. 4 a-dthrough 16 a-d.

Referring to FIGS. 4 a-d, there is shown a tamper-evident feature in theform of a partially removable adhesive label 40 adjacent to the narrowclosing end 32 a of the slider 32 when the slider 32 is in the closedposition on the zipper 22. Opposing end sections 40 a and 40 b of thelabel 40 are permanently adhered to outer surfaces of the opposing bagbody panels 12 and 14, while a middle portion 40 c of the label 40 isdetachably connected to these end sections 40 a and 40 b alongrespective perforation lines. One or both ends of each perforation linemay be provided with a notch to help initiate tearing along theperforation line. The middle portion 40 c is either not adhered to thebag or is peelably adhered to the bag. Prior to removal, the label 40extends over the zipper 22 as shown in FIGS. 4 a and 4 c so as toobstruct movement of the slider 32 away from the closed position. Toallow movement of the slider 32 and thereby gain access to the interiorof the bag, a user grasps the portion 40 c of the label 40 extendingover the zipper 22 and detaches this portion 40 c from the end sections40 a and 40 b as shown in FIGS. 4 b and 4 d. The end sections 40 a and40 b remaining on the bag provide evidence of tampering. In analternative embodiment, the label 40 does not include the perforationlines, but rather is removed using a cutting tool such as a scissors orknife.

Referring to FIGS. 5 a-d, there is shown a tamper-evident feature in theform of a flexible member, such as a conventional plastic price tag pin50, extending through a hole 52 in the slider 32 and through the zipper22 when the slider 32 is in the closed position on the zipper 22. Theprice tag pin 50 includes a pair of stops 54 and 56 at its opposing endsto keep the pin 50 in place. Since the price tag pin 50 is anchored tothe zipper 22, the slider 32 cannot be moved away from the closedposition until the price tag pin 50 is clipped off the bag as shown inFIGS. 5 b and 5 d. As shown in FIGS. 6 a-d, the price tag pin 50 mayalternatively be anchored to the zipper 22 adjacent to the closing end32 a of the slider 32 when the slider 32 is in the closed position onthe zipper 22. The zipper 22 includes the profiles 24 and 28 and thefins 26 and 30 extending downward from the respective profiles 24 and28. The price tag pin 50 may extend through a hole in either theprofiles 24 and 28 (not shown) or the fins 26 and 30 as shown in FIG. 6c. The pin 50 may extend through both the fins and the opposing bodypanels (as shown) or just the fins. Prior to removal of the pin 50, thepin 50 blocks movement of the slider 32 away from the closed position.

Referring to FIGS. 7 a-d, there is shown a tamper-evident feature in theform of a removable stepped retaining element 70 removably attached tothe bag body panel 12 just below the zipper 22 at the closed position ofthe slider. The stepped element 70 may be attached to the bag body panel12 by a peel seal or other weak adhesive that allows the stepped element70 to be peeled or pried away as shown in FIGS. 7 b and 7 d. The steppedelement 70 forms one or more steps 72 having respective sloped surfaces.The sloped surfaces of the respective steps 72 may be inclined such thateach step 72 gradually increases in thickness in a direction approachingthe end stop 34. To engage one of the steps 72, the slider 32 includesat least one inwardly extending shoulder 73 that is contoured to form aprotrusion or bump 74. The protrusion 74 may be located anywhere alongthe shoulder 73. Further details concerning the contoured shoulder 73may be obtained from U.S. application Ser. No. 08/938,047 filed Apr. 26,1997, entitled “High-Strength Slider for a Reclosable Bag,” andincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. When the slider 32 isin the closed position, the protrusion 74 on the slider shoulder 73engages a raised edge 76 (FIG. 7 a) on one of the steps 72.

To create the tamper-evident feature in FIGS. 7 a-d, the stepped element70 is preferably first adhered to the bag body panel 12. Subsequently,the slider 32 may be engaged to the stepped element 70 using a coupletechniques. In one technique, if the slider 32 is of the wing-lock typedisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,208, the slider 32 may be installed onthe zipper 22 at a location immediately above the stepped element 70.The wing-lock slider 32 includes a pair of hinged wings 78 and 79 that,prior to installing the slider 32 on the zipper 22, are spread away fromeach other in an open position (not shown). The wing 78 forms theshoulder 73 having the protrusion 74. The slider 32 is initially mountedto the zipper 22 above the stopped element with the wings 78 and 79 inthe open or spread position, and then the wings 78 and 79 are rotateddownward and latched in a closed position depicted in FIGS. 7 a-d. Asthe wings 78 and 79 are latched in the closed position, the protrusion74 engages the edge 76 of one of the steps 72. In another technique, theslider 32 is installed on the zipper 22 at a location away from thestepped element 70. The slider 32 is then moved along the zipper 22 tothe closed position. When approaching the closed position, the slidershoulder 73 is forced over the stepped element 70 until the protrusion74 engages the edge 76 of one of the steps 72.

To remove the stepped element 70 and thereby allow movement of theslider 32 away from the closed position, a user grasps a tab 71 of thestepped element 70 and peels or pries the stepped element 70 away fromthe bag body panel 12 as shown in FIGS. 7 b and 7 d.

Referring to FIGS. 7 e-h, in an alternative embodiment a breakawaystepped element 70′ is integrally formed with the end stop 34 and isdetachably connected to the end stop 34 along a weakened area ofconnection 75 (FIG. 7 e). To remove the stepped element 70′, the slider32 is forced away from the closed position as shown in FIG. 7 f to breakthe weakened connection 75. The detached stepped element 70′ is thenremoved from beneath the slider 32. To facilitate removal of the steppedelement 70′, a pull tab akin to the tab 71 in FIGS. 7 a-d may beprovided. Instead of detaching the stepped element 70′ from the end stop34 by forcibly moving the slider 32 away from the end stop 34, thestepped element 70′ may alternatively be provided with a pull tab thatis grasped and pulled by a user to first rupture the weakened connection75 and then remove the detached stepped element 70 from beneath theslider 32.

Referring to FIGS. 8 a-d. there is shown a tamper-evident feature in theform of removable plastic shrink wrap 80 encapsulating the slider 32when the slider 32 is in the closed position. The shrink wrap 80 isadhered or thermally fused to the bag body panels 12 and 14. The shrinkwrap 80 may additionally encapsulate the end stop 34, in which case theshrink wrap 80 may only need to be attached to itself and not to thebody panels in order to be held in place. Alternatively, the shrink wrapmay be shrunk over the zipper 22 in front of the slider 32. To allow theslider 32 to be moved away from the closed position, the shrink wrap 80is torn or peeled away from the bag as shown in FIGS. 8 b and 8 d. Theshrink wrap 80 may be notched or perforated to facilitate its removal.Such perforations could be located along the top or sides of the shrinkwrap 80 depending upon the manner in which it is desired that the shrinkwrap 80 be torn away. It is contemplated that a portion of the shrinkwrap 80 could remain attached to the bag body panels 12 and 14 fortamper evidence after most of the shrink wrap 80 is torn away, so longas the remaining portion does not interfere with the movement of theslider 32.

Referring to FIGS. 9 a-d, there is shown a tamper-evident feature in theform of a rigid or flexible plastic sleeve 90 partially covering theslider 32 when the slider 32 is in the closed position. Alternatively,the sleeve 90 may be increased in length to cover the entire slider 32.The sleeve 90 is either adhered or thermally fused to one or both of thebag body panels 12 and 14 as shown in FIGS. 9 a and 9 c or attached tothe end stop 34 (not shown). To allow the slider 32 to be moved awayfrom the closed position, the plastic sleeve 90 is torn or peeled awayfrom the bag as shown in FIGS. 9 b and 9 d.

Referring to FIGS. 10 a-d, in an alternative embodiment a plastic sleeve100 is mounted over the zipper 22 adjacent to the closing end 32 a ofthe slider 32 when the slider is in the closed position. The sleeve 100may be adhered or thermally fused to the bag body panels 12 and 14 and,additionally or alternatively, may be releasably connected to the zipper22 by a friction fit. Also, the sleeve 100 may extend along only a shortportion of the length of the zipper 22 as shown, or may extend alongsubstantially the entire length of the zipper 22 less the region of thezipper 22 occupied by the slider 32. To achieve a strong friction fitbetween the sleeve 100 and the zipper 22, the sleeve 100 is preferablyextruded to have an inner profile conforming to an outer profile of thezipper 22 as shown in FIG. 10 c. When the sleeve 100 is mounted to thezipper 22, the sleeve 100 obstructs movement of the slider 32 away fromthe closed position. To allow the slider 32 to be moved away from theclosed position, the sleeve 100 is pried off the zipper 22 either bypulling the entire sleeve 100 upward off the zipper 22 (not shown) or,if the sleeve 100 is sufficiently flexible, by releasing and lifting oneside of the sleeve 100 as shown in FIGS. 10 b and 10 d.

Referring to FIGS. 11 a-d, there is shown a tamper-evident feature inthe form of a cardboard, paper, plastic, or foil strip 110 wrapped overthe zipper 22 at a location adjacent to the closing end 32 a of theslider 32 when the slider 32 is in the closed position. The strip 110 isstapled to the bag body panels 12 and 14. To allow the slider 32 to bemoved away from its closed position, the staple is removed from thestrip 110 which is, in turn, removed from the bag.

Referring to FIGS. 12 a-d, there is shown a tamper-evident feature inthe form of a plastic tab 120 located adjacent to the closing end 32 aof the slider 32 when the slider is in the closed position. The plastictab 120 includes a pair of tab panels 120 a and 120 b (FIG. 12 c)integrally formed with the respective bag body panels 12 and 14 anddetachable therefrom along lines of weakness 122 (FIG. 12 a). The linesof weakness may be perforations, scores, thinned areas, or the like. Thetab panels 120 a and 120 b extend upwardly above the zipper 22 and areadhered or thermally fused to each other above the zipper 22. To allowthe slider 32 to be moved away from its closed position, the tab panels120 a and 120 b are grasped and pulled in a generally upward directionuntil they are broken away from the bag body panels 12 and 14 along thelines of weakness 122 as shown in FIGS. 12 b and 12 d. It iscontemplated that a single tab panel maybe used in place of the pair oftab panels 120 a and 120 b.

Referring to FIGS. 13 a-d, there is shown a tamper-evident feature inthe form of a latch 130 extending from the end stop 34 and releasablyengaged to the slider 32 when the slider 32 is in the closed position.The illustrated latch 130 is connected to the end stop 34 along aone-time breakable hinge that biases the latch 130 toward the positiondepicted in FIG. 13 a. The latch 130 may extend along the side of theslider 32 as shown or, alternatively, may extend along the top wall ofthe slider 32. As shown in FIG. 13 a, the latch 130 is shaped to extendabout the exterior of the slider 32 and forms a distal hook 132 thatengages the closing end 32 a of the slider 32. Alternatively, the slider32 may be modified to include a protruding tab, and the latch 130 may beadapted to engage the protruding tab. To allow the slider 32 to be movedaway from its closed position, the latch 130 is pivoted outward awayfrom the slider 32 until the hook 132 disengages from the slider 32 asshown in FIGS. 13 b and 13 d. The latch 130 is then torn away from theend stop 34 and discarded.

Referring to FIGS. 14 a-d. there is shown a tamper-evident feature inthe form of an arrow-shaped latch 140 extending from the slider end stop34 and engaged to the slider 32 when the slider 32 is in the closedposition. The latch 140 is integrally formed with the end stop 34, andthe slider 32 is initially injection molded with an elongated cavity 142having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the latch 140.The transverse dimension of the cavity is slightly greater than thetransverse dimension of the latch 140. To “activate” the tamper-evidentfeature, the slider 32 is moved to the closed position such that thelatch 140 is inserted into the cavity 142 and the barb-like head 144 ofthe latch 140 snappingly engages a shoulder 146 deep within the cavity142. The latch head 144 is sufficiently flexible to allow the latch 140to be inserted in the cavity 142 and, yet, its barb-like shape preventsthe latch 140 from subsequently being extracted from the cavity 142. Theinstalled latch 140 is depicted in FIGS. 14 a and 14 c. To allow theslider 32 to be moved away from its closed position, the slider 32 issimply grasped and moved away from the closed position with sufficientforce to break the latch 140 away from the end stop 34 as shown in FIGS.14 b and 14 d. The latch 140 remains captured within the cavity 142 ofthe slider 32.

As shown in FIGS. 15 a-d, an arrow-shaped latch 150 may alternativelyextend from the slider 32 and be engaged to the end stop 34. The latch150 is inserted into a cavity 152 within the end stop 34 and snappinglyengaged to a shoulder 154 within the cavity 152. In response to forcingthe slider 32 away from its closed position, the latch 150 is brokenaway from the slider 32 and remains captured within the cavity 152 asshown in FIGS. 15 b and 15 d.

Referring to FIGS. 16 a-d, there is shown a tamper-evident feature inthe form of a U-shaped rigid or semi-rigid retaining element 160extending through slots 162 in the slider 32 and dug into the zipper 22(see FIG. 16 c) when the slider 32 is in the closed position. TheU-shaped element 160 may be composed of metal or plastic. The slider 32includes a transverse member 163 and a pair of side walls 164 and 165extending downward from opposing longitudinal sides of the transversemember 163. The transverse member 163 rides along the upper portion ofthe zipper 22. The side wall 164 includes a leg 166 and a hinged wing167. After the slider 32 is installed on the zipper 22, the wing 167encompasses and is latched to the leg 166. The side wall 165 includes aleg and a hinged wing akin to the respective leg 166 and wing 167 of theside wall 164. The slots 162 are formed by a small gap separating thewing 167 20 from the leg 166. Further details concerning theconstruction of the slider 32 may be obtained from U.S. application Ser.No. 08/938,047 filed Apr. 26, 1997, entitled “High-Strength Slider for aReclosable Bag,” and already incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

An advantage of the tamper-evident feature in FIGS. 16 a-d is that aslider bag utilizing the slider 32 constructed as described above isalready suitable for receiving the U-shaped element 160. No specialfeatures need to be added to the slider 32. Therefore, such a slider bagmay be retrofitted with the U-shaped element 160 to provide the bag witha degree of tamper evidence. To allow the slider 32 to be moved awayfrom the closed position, the U-shaped element 160 is disengaged fromthe zipper 22 and removed from the slider 32. To facilitate such removalof the U-shaped element, a prying tool such as a screwdriver may beinserted between the slider leg 166 and the U-shaped element 160. In analternative embodiment, the U-shaped element 160 is replaced with arigid element that passes through only a single slot or hole in theslider 32 and digs into the zipper 22. This rigid element is preferablyprovided with some sort of handle that can be manipulated by hand orwith a tool to facilitate removal of the rigid element from the slider32.

In another set of embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 17 a-c through FIGS.20 a-b, the tamper-evident feature initially maintains a mouth portionof the plastic bag in a folded position and allows the mouth portion tobe unfolded in response to removing or breaking the tamper-evidentfeature. The tamper-evident feature can be employed with both slider andsliderless bags.

Referring to FIGS. 17 a-c, there is shown a tamper-evident featurecreated by folding over the mouth portion 170 of the bag and detachablysealing the folded-over mouth portion 170 to the sides 16 and 18 of thebag along side spot seals 172 and 174. With the bag in the foldedposition, as shown in FIGS. 17 a and 17 b, access to the interior of thebag is restricted because even if the slider 32 is moved from the closedposition to the open position, one would have difficulty getting pastthe fold 176 after entering the bag. In addition to providing tamperevidence, the folded-over mouth portion 170 provides a convenient handlefor carrying the bag especially when the seals for attaching thefolded-over mouth portion 170 are located along the sides 16 and 18. Togain access to the contents of the bag, the side seals 172 and 174 areruptured to allow the mouth portion 170 to be unfolded as shown in FIG.17 c.

As shown in FIGS. 18, 19 a-b, and 20 a-b, the folded-over mouth portion170 may alternatively be secured in the folded position by other means.For example, in FIG. 18, the folded-over mouth portion 170 is held inthe folded position by the combination of a spot seal 174 along the side18 and a flexible member, such as a price tag pin 180, passing throughboth the zipper 22 and the adjacent unfolded bag portion near the side16. The price tag pin 180 performs the dual function of maintaining themouth portion 170 in the folded position and preventing the slider 32from being moved away from the closed position until the pin 180 isremoved from the bag. The embodiment in FIG. 18 may be modified toeliminate the spot seal 174 and provide either a single price tag pinapproximately midway between the sides 16 and 18 or a pair of price tagpins near the respective sides 16 and 18. Any price tag pin near theside 16 is preferably disposed adjacent to or through the slider 32along the zipper 22 to prevent the slider 32 from being moved away fromthe closed position until the pin is removed from the bag.

In FIGS. 19 a-b, the folded-over mouth portion 170 is secured in thefolded position by one or more spot seals 190 and 192 detachably sealingthe bag panel 12 to itself. The spot seals may, for example, be peelableseals or “dirty” seals. The portion of the bag panel 12 on the mouthportion 170 is adhered to the adjacent unfolded portion of the bag panel12. The spot seals 190 and 192 may, if desired, be strategicallypositioned to create a handle for carrying the bag.

In FIGS. 20 a-b, the folded-over mouth portion 170 is secured in thefolded position by one or more partially removable stickers (adhesivestrip) or pressure-sensitive labels 200 that attach the mouth portion170 to the adjacent unfolded portion of the bag panel 12. One of thestickers 200 may be positioned adjacent to or over the slider 32 alongthe zipper 22 to prevent the slider 32 from being moved away from theclosed position until the sticker is removed from the bag. A middleportion of each sticker 200 is torn away to allow the mouth portion 170to be unfolded, while end portions of each sticker 200 remainpermanently attached to the bag to provide evidence of tampering.

Each tamper-evident feature described above makes it difficult to gainaccess to the interior of the bag prior to removing or breaking thetamper-evident feature. In the absence of graspable upper flanges, thezipper 22 is difficult to grasp and open by hand without the use of theslider 32. Therefore, with respect to those tamper-evident features thatprevent movement of the slider 32 away from the closed position, suchtamper-evident features effectively inhibit tampering with the contentsof the bag to a degree that is especially useful for non-food and somefood applications, where tamper-proof packaging is not required buttamper-resistant packaging is nonetheless desirable. For example, thetamper-evident features in FIGS. 4 a-d, 8 a-d. 9 a-d, 10 a-d, 11 a-d,and 12 a-d are advantageous in that tamper resistance is accomplished byusing a removable cardboard, paper, plastic, or foil member covering oradjacent to the slider in the closed position and adhered, stapled,friction fit, or connected in some other way to the bag to hold themember in place. If the member is composed of plastic, the plastic maybe a polymer or copolymer comprised of polyethylene-based polymers,polystyrene, polypropylene, nylon, polycarbonate, or other similarmaterials. The polyethylene-based polymers may include low densitypolyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, metallocene, ethylenevinyl acetate, or other similar materials. The shrink wrap 80 in FIGS. 8a-d is preferably composed of conventional low density polyethylene. Theplastic tab 120 in FIGS. 12 a-d is formed from the same material as thebag body panels 12 and 14 because the detachable tab panels 120 a and120 b are integrally formed with the respective bag body panels 12 and14.

Further, the tamper-evident features in FIGS. 5 a-d and 6 a-d areadvantageous in that tamper resistance is accomplished by using aconventional price tag pin anchored to at least the zipper 22 (FIGS. 5a-d and 6 a-d) and optionally anchored to the slider 32 as well (FIGS. 5a-d) so as to obstruct movement of the slider 32 away from its closedposition. The tamper-evident features in FIGS. 13 a-d, 14 a-d, and 15a-d are advantageous in that tamper resistance is accomplished by usinga movable (FIGS. 13 a-d) or breakable (FIGS. 14 a-d and 15 a-d) latchreleasably coupling the slider 32 to the end stop 34. The steppedelement in FIGS. 7 a-h is likewise effective at providing resistance totampering with the contents of the slider bag.

Unlike the tamper-evident features in FIGS. 4 a-d through 16 a-d, thetamper-evident features in FIGS. 17 a-c, 18, 19 a-b, and 20 a-b do notrely upon preventing movement of the slider 32 away from its closedposition. Rather, the tamper-evident features in FIGS. 17 a-c, 18, 19a-b, and 20 a-b rely upon securing the bag mouth in a folded positionand would still be effective in the absence of the slider 32 and thezipper 22. Therefore, unlike the other tamper-evident features, thetamper-evident features in FIGS. 17 a-c, 18, 19 a-b, and 20 a-b may beapplied to virtually any type of bag. If, however, a slider bag isemployed, it is contemplated that the tamper-evident features of FIGS. 4a-d through 16 a-d can be combined with the tamper-evident features inFIGS. 17 a-c, 18, 19 a-b, and 20 a-b so as to both secure the bag mouthin a folded position and prevent movement of the slider away from itsclosed position until the appropriate tamper-evident feature is brokenor removed. Examples of bags combining multiple tamper-evident featuresis illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 20 a-b.

While the present invention has been described with reference to one ormore particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognizethat many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. Each of these embodiments andobvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spiritand scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the followingclaims.

1-49. (canceled)
 50. A reclosable slider bag comprising: first andsecond opposing body panels connected to each other along a pair ofsides and a bottom bridging the pair of sides; a reclosable zipperextending along a mouth formed opposite the bottom and including a ribprofile and a groove profile, the rib profile and the groove profileadapted to interlock with each other; a slider slidably mounted to thezipper for movement between a closed position and an open position, therib profile and the groove profile being interlocked while the slider isin the closed position, the rib profile and the groove profile beingprogressively disengaged in response to movement of the slider to theopen position; and a removable member detachably connected to at leastone of the opposing body panels at a line of weakness located below therib profile and the groove profile, the member extending over the zipperand protruding above the slider, the member being removable from the atleast one of the opposing body panels along the line of weakness toallow access to an interior of the bag.
 51. The bag of claim 50 whereinthe member is capable of being grasped by fingers to allow the member tobe torn from the at least one of the opposing body panels along the lineof weakness.
 52. The bag of claim 50 wherein the line of weaknessincludes a perforation.
 53. The bag of claim 50 wherein the line ofweakness includes a thinned area.
 54. The bag of claim 50 wherein theline of weakness includes a score.
 55. The bag of claim 50 wherein themember extends over only a portion of a length of the zipper.
 56. Thebag of claim 50 wherein the member envelops the zipper.
 57. The bag ofclaim 50 wherein the line of weakness is present in both of the firstand second opposing body panels.
 58. The bag of claim 57 wherein themember is removable along the respective line of weakness in each of thefirst and second opposing body panels.
 59. The bag of claim 50 whereinthe line of weakness has a length that is less than a length of thezipper.
 60. The bag of claim 50 wherein the line of weakness extendsalong the member.
 61. The bag of claim 50 wherein the member includesfirst and second member panels connected to each other at uppermostportions.
 62. The bag of claim 61 wherein the first and second memberpanels are connected at a location above the slider.
 63. A method ofaccessing contents within a bag, the bag including first and secondopposing body panels and a reclosable zipper extending along a bag mouthformed by the body panels, the zipper having a slider slidably mountedto the zipper for movement between a closed position wherein the zipperis interlocked and an open position wherein the zipper is unlocked, thezipper including a rib profile and a groove profile, the methodcomprising: tearing an upwardly extending member from the body panelsalong a line of weakness in the body panels to permit access to contentswith the bag, the line of weakness being below the rib profile and thegroove profile; and moving the slider from the closed position to theopen position to gain access to contents with the bag.
 64. The method ofclaim 63 wherein the line of weakness is a perforation.
 65. The methodof claim 63 wherein the line of weakness is a thinned area.
 66. Themethod of claim 63 wherein the line of weakness is a score.
 67. Themethod of claim 63 wherein the step of tearing the member from the bodypanels along the line of weakness comprises grasping the member.
 68. Amethod of using a reclosable slider bag, the bag comprising first andsecond opposing body panels defining an interior, a reclosable zipperextending along a bag mouth formed by the body panels, and a memberdetachably attached to at least one of the body panels and at leastpartially enveloping the zipper, the zipper having a slider slidablymounted to the zipper for movement between a closed position wherein thezipper is interlocked and an open position wherein the zipper isunlocked, the zipper providing access to the interior of the bag, themethod comprising: removing the member from the at least one of the bodypanels along a line of weakness located below the zipper; and moving theslider in a first direction to disengage the zipper, thereby providingaccess to the interior of the bag.
 69. The method of claim 68 whereinthe step of removing the member at the line of weakness comprisesremoving the member at a perforation, a thinned area, or a score. 70.The method of claim 68 wherein the step of removing the member from theat least one of the body panels comprises grasping the member.
 71. Themethod of claim 69 wherein the step of removing the member from the atleast one of the body panels comprises tearing the member from the atleast one of the body panels along the line of weakness.